Out of scholarly duty I saw Savages and it is even worse than expected — it feels like an assault, really. In any case, I was reminded that Laguna Beach is beautiful and I miss it. I learned that Mexicans are savages and pacifists are highly corruptible and unreliable, and that the sanguine, clean, and … More Savages
The current form of maternal martyr, I discern, is not the one I remember from childhood but is, nonetheless, an interesting inversion of this one. The form of maternal martyrdom I remember was undertaken by those mothers who had renounced everything to be at home with children. They were legion and they were known to … More Maternal martyrs of the 21st century
Blond-haired, blue-eyed, stony-faced, slack-jawed men chewing gum slowly, endlessly, and somewhat menacingly — this is the Southern stereotype and I am always amazed when I actually see such people; they really do exist and everything is true. What people in general are slower to realize is that the South is Black; Yankees against Southerners are, … More El Sur
What I notice is that you have to put more, not less time into everything. I do not mean larger blocs of time, of course, although that is fine too. What I mean is, more total time into everything that matters. That means less into what doesn’t, of course, but it does not mean starving … More Time Time Time
A large part of the problem, as a local friend points out, is the abusive environment. One could, theoretically, move about as freely as one does elsewhere and enjoy local delights, but one learns that it is not so simple — unpleasantness comes when you least expect it, but often, and “just avoid it” or … More Things I do automatically when abroad, and did here before Reeducation, but have a hard time doing here now.
In Mexico, as an experiment, I had a lifting facial, costing me $60, and everyone is shocked and says I look nearly 10 years younger. This is in part due to my having gotten a lot of exercise and eaten and slept well, but it is true that the facial got rid of my wrinkles. … More Nos visages
Here is some high quality travel equipment I am recommending, although not buying myself at this time. Those are all Merrell shoes. The boots are waterproof. This Dynamic Bicycles Sidekick 8 might be the best bicycle for me. These Tsubo Acrea shoes are supposed to be very comfortable, even on bikes. SmartWool is very good, … More In case you are making plans…
IN JULY I MUST Work on computer files Call my T.A. Follow up on my denied grant Finish site for that Cultural Studies course Make plans for New Orleans and Austin Work on fiction Started, keep going I must also work on paper correspondence Update membership in professional societies Do academic work Teach Continue acquiring … More No he terminado de estar aquí
Glissant’s book also has much more in it on the psychology of domination than I had realized, and is in general much more thoroughgoing and serious than it had ever seemed to me the various times I had tried to work with it in a rushed way (the academic way). I am reading slowly which … More Lentitude
An important principle of Reeducation was that you should do what was uncomfortable. This was because what you thought right was necessarily wrong, and also because you had surely never stretched to do anything differently before. There are several reasons why this idea did not apply to me. Here are some of them, listed in … More A Reeducated Postscript
coldhearted scientist وداد 